US1976369A - Apparatus for counting the axles of a train - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 9, 1934. LA 1,976,369

APPARATUS FOR COUNTING THE AXLES OF A TRAIN Filed Aug. 20, 1951 lnven/on:

Patented Oct. 9, 193 4 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR COUNTING THE AXLES OF A TEAM Kurt Platte, Berlin-Steglitz, Germany, assignmto Vereinigte Eisenbahn-Signalwerke, Gesell schaft mit'beschrankter Haftung, Siemensstadt, near Berlin, Germany, acorporation of Germany Application August 20,

1931, Serial No. 558,313

In Germany March 10, 1931 6 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for counting the axles of a train, and more particularly to such apparatus operating in conjunction with .rail contacts. I

At the point of a railroad track where it is desired to count the number of axles of a train, but where no storage battery is available or at least no battery of sufficiently high voltage, it was hitherto only possible to operate the count- 10 ing mechanism by the application of inductive direct current impulse systems in conjunction with dry batteries of small capacity. Assumption for dry batteries which should operate continuously during many months without any attendance and supply comparatively large outputs is that the load should'be applied in rushes only and should not continue for a considerable time.

In the inductive direct current axle counting system this loading in'rushes is ensured. It is however in the nature of this system of counting axles-that below a minimum speed counting is no longer possible because the impulse is too small, If the minimum speed is not ensured, it was therefore necessary to employ a mechan-- 5 ical contact. This has, however, the disadvantage that in the apparatus known heretofore a loading of the battery in rushes only was not ensured under all circumstances, because if an axle would stop on the contact for a considerable time and would keep the contact closed the 'dry battery would be continuously loaded.

The object of the invention is to provide means which ensure that the dry batteryfis loaded in rushes or intermittently even when a contact is '35 operated for a considerable time.

This end in view is according-to this invention attained by charging a condenser across the counting mechanism when the contact is closed. A'further advantage resides in the fact that no 40 special relay is required so that the load on the ing the condenser through a contact and for discharging it through the counter, and Fig. 3 represents an arrangement similar to Fig. 2 with the additionof means for prolonging the contact duration.

as 'Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing it will be seen that two contacts A and B are located along the track so that the wheels pass first over one and then over the other. If an axle on passing from the left to the right closes the contact A the charging current of the condenser C limited by the resistance R2 operates the counting mechanism Z. As soon as the condenser is charged the armature of the mechanism Z returns into its inoperative position, independent of the fact whether the contact A has been released again or is still kept closed by the axle. On proceeding along the track the axle closes the contact B by which the condenser C is discharged across the resistance R1 and made ready for counting the next axle. 1

This device is equally applicable to the opposite direction of travel of the train without any modification as it is immaterial for the service whether the discharge of the condenser C is effected by the same axle as the charge or by the next following axle.

The closest spacing between the contacts A and B is determined by the consideration that both contacts A and B must never be. closed simultaneously, the widest spacing by the consideration that the contact B must be released by the preceding axle before the next following axle has reached the contact A.

Further embodiments of the invention are illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, the condenser being here connected in parallel to the counting mechanism and a plurality of contacts being provided.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawing 1-, 2, 3, 4 are rail contacts which are located alongthe rail in the order stated. When the train passes along the track contact 1 is first closed and the condenser C connected to the source of current E and thus charged. If an axle would stop on this contact, the condenser would make use of the source of current to the extent only to which it loses its charge due to leakage. Under normal conditions this loss is very small so that it can be neglected. If, on the other hand thetrain would only stop immediately after the contact 1 has been released, the condenser might gradually lose its charge by leakage and, when the train proceeds and closes the contact. 3, be no longerable to discharge itself across the counting mechanism Z. To prevent this a contact 2 is provided directly behind the contact 1, and is closed by the train axle as soonas the contact 1 is opened. The condenser is thereby connected by way of the large resistance R to the source of current E in such a way that the small leakage losses of the speeds.

condenser can continuously be made good again across theresistance. When the axle then passes on to the contact 3, the condenser now discharges itself across the contact 3 and the counting mechanism Z. The contacts 1 and 2 may be spaced so that they slightly overlap, in order to maintain the full charge of the condenser, but it is immaterial whether during the first encounter of the contact 3 by an axle, also the contact 2 is still closed for a moment, since the resistance R prevents appreciable amounts of current from flowing to the counting mechanism Z directly from the source of current E.

The counting mechanism Z is therefore mainly operated only by the discharge of the condenser. Matters would be different if the contact 2 and the resistance R were not interposed. On simultaneous operation of the contacts 1 and 3 the counting mechanism Z would then be directly connected to the source of current. The contact 4 located behind the contact 3 in the direction of operation has the task of permitting the counting of the axles in one (forward) direction only. If, for instance, an axle runs on the contact 1 or 2, stops there without discharging the charged condenser C through the counting mechanism Z by closing the contact 3, and then runs ofi contact 1 again in the reverse direction of travel, the next axle arriving in the reverse direction would discharge the still charged condenser across the counting mechanism Z on passing over the con-' tact 3 and thus advance the counting mechanism and count the axle. The contact 4 prevents this by being operated by the reverse running next axle, Whichencounters this contactahead of the contact 3, whereby condenser C is short-circuited and discharged before contact 3 is operated. It is desirable, however, that the contact springs 3 and 4 be spaced sufficiently close so that their closing time-slightly overlaps, so as to make sure that the counter will not operate.

In the event of high speeds the charging and also discharging period of the condenser across the counting mechanism Z is preferably lengthened. This may be efiected by means of the well known six-spring wheel contactor arrangement, as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 of the drawing which, so far as the principle of contact connection is concerned, is similar to Fig. 2.

In this case the condenser C is connected to the source of current E by way of contact 1 as well as by way of contact 11. The same as in Fig. 2, the charging of condenser C is maintained by way ofclosed contact 2 and of resistance R of the condenser through thegcounting mechanism Z is efiected by closing the contacts 3 and 33, and the condenser is short-circuited here likewise for the purpose shown in Fig. 2 by means of the contact 4. According to the spacing and construction of the contacts 1 and 11 respectively, and 3 and 33 respectively, the charging and discharging periods of the condenser may be lengthened as desired, to adapt the arrangement for the particular high The axle counting apparatus or'system described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 is dependent on the direction of travel of the train, i. e. with the arrangements shown in these figures an axle can only be counted in the direction of travel from the left to right. On tracks over which trains travel in both directions the incoming and outgoing axles may reliably and easily be counted by providing for the modification Figs. 2 and 3, which operate for travel from left to right, .a sec- 0nd, identical group of contacts which operate direction of tra n travel, for preventing discharge current from flowing through said counter in case for opposite direction of travel. Such a second group of contacts may be provided on the other track rail and may operate in conjunction with a second axle counting mechanism. It is, however, also possible to accommodate both contact groups in a four (or more) spring wheel contactor, each of the springs of which is arranged to operate two contacts located separate from each other.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an arrangement for counting the axles of a train in combination with a plurality of train wheel-operated contact elements spaced along the track, a current source and an electrically operable counter and circuit connections for aforesaid elements, of a condenser and a charging circuit therefor including one of said contacts for charging the condenser from said sourse only while a wheel closes said contact, and a discharge circuit for said condenser including another of said contacts, for discharging the condenser when a wheel closes said latter contact, said counter being located in one of said condenser circuits, so that it is operable by condenser currents only.

2. In an arrangement for counting the axles of a train in combination with a plurality of train wheel-operated contact elements spaced along the track, a current source and an electrically operable counter and circuit connections for aforesaid 1 5 elements, of a condenser and a charging circuit therefor including one of said contacts for charging the condenser from said source only while a wheel closes said contact, and a discharge circuit for said condenser including another of said contacts, for discharging the condenser when a wheel closes said latter contact, said counter being located in said discharge circuit, so that it is operable by condenser discharge currents only.

3. In an arrangement for counting the axles of a train in combination with a plurality of train wheel-operated contact elements spaced along the track, a current source and an electrically operable counter and circuit connections for aforesaid elements, of a condenser and a charging circuit therefor including one of said contacts for charging the condenser from said source when a wheel closes said contact, and a discharge circuit for said condenser including another of said contacts, for discharging the condenser when a wheel closes said latter contact, said counter being located in said discharge circuit, and a third circuit for short-circuiting said condenser, and including a third of said contacts spaced beyond the second contact in the normal a train passes over the contacts in the opposite direction.

4. In an arrangement for counting the axles of a train in combination with a plurality of train wheel-operated contact elements spaced along the I track, a current source and an electrically operadjacent to said second contact in 'the normal train travel direction and closed by the wheel subsequent to the second contact for operating the counter.

5, In an arrangement for counting the axles of a train in combinationwith a plurality of train wheel-operated contact elements spaced along the track, a current source and an electrically operable counter and circuit connections for aforesaid elements, of a condenser and a charging circuit therefor including one of said contacts for charging the condenser from said source when a wheel closes said contact, a shunt circuit for said contact including a second contact spaced adjacent to the first-mentioned contact in the normal train travel direction, and closed by the wheel subsequent to the closing of the first contact for maintaining the condenser charge from said source, a discharge circuit for said condenser including said counter and a third contact next adjacent to said second contact in the normal train travel direction and closed by the wheel subsequent to the second contact for operating the counter, and a fourth contact spaced adjacent to the third contact in the train travel direction,

and connected directly to said condenser for short-circuitlng it when a train passes over said contact in the opposite direction to prevent discharge current from flowing through said counter.

6. In an arrangement for counting the axles of a train in combination with a plurality of train wheel-operated contact elements spaced along the track, a current source and an electrically operable counter and circuit connections for aforesaid elements, of a condenser and a charging circuit therefor including one of said contacts for charging the condenser, from said source when a wheel closes said contact, ashunt circuit for said contact including a second contact spaced adjacent to the first-mentioned contact in the normal train travel direction, and closed by the wheel subsequent to the closing of the first contact for maintaining the condenser charge from said source, a discharge circuit for said condenser including said counter and a third contact next adjacent to said second contact in the normal train travel direction and closed by the wheel subsequent to the second contact for operating the counter, each of said charging and discharging contacts having a hold-over contact spaced next adjacent to it in the normal direction of train travel, and connected in shunt to its pertaining main contact; for prolonging the duration of the condenser charge and discharge in case of high train speeds.

KURT PLA'I'I'E.

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